hadriel_logs | Event Log: Soulmates

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for Soulmates event
Where: All over the city
When: February 14th-February 22nd
Warnings: None

Oh shit, what even happened last night? You're pretty sure you had a normal night, no crazy drunk antics (unless that is your normal night). But this morning you woke up with a brand new tattoo, and it's... a name?

Maybe it's a name you recognize, one of your good friends. Maybe it's a stranger. Maybe it's someone you can barely stand. No matter who it is, you kind of feel like you should look for them and figure out what's going on with this weird tattoo. And when you find them - well, they've got one too, except this one is your name. It would seem weird, except as soon as you see each other you kind of understand. Of course you'd have a tattoo with the name of the person you've found such an amazing connection with. You were meant to be together.

So enjoy your time with your newfound soulmate. Who knows, you might wake up tomorrow with a whole new name on your arm, a new connection, a new love. Make the most of it!

► This log covers February 14th-February 22nd
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you try to pull off a stupid stunt to impress your soulmate and fail so miserably you die, please let us know here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Will waked slowly around the room, taking in all the paintings, the sketches too. Some of the people he recognized, not personally but from around the City and on the network. He stopped at a few to take a closer look. The one with the Pelican and the shattered burning bridge especially, for some reason those two resonated strongly with him. ]

You've got a talent. These are beautiful...

[ Will turned, his hands slipping into the side pockets of his trousers, a much more relaxed body posture and language from the normally skittish man. Wandering around the room reminded him of times he'd stroll through Hannibal's office, looking at the vast and various books on the ceiling-high shelves. In fact, Will was even starting to talk in a more relaxed manner with Ephemera, like he'd known him for years, closely and even in a caring way. It was strange. ]

Creativity and chaos go hand in hand. Cant erect a masterpiece without destroying a little of its surroundings in the process, right?

[ Turning to where Ephemera was, taking a few more steps so he was close by his side, waiting patiently for his coffee. It felt nice, to be around someone so creative both with his weapon and his brush. ]

What inspired you? Memories from home? Dreams?

Thanks.

[ It's said uncertainly. Ephemera is never sure how to take compliments about his art. It's just something he does - something that he's worked hard to master, to be sure - but ultimately a practice that he does for himself, and no one else. It doesn't matter what the rest of the world thinks, only that they see it the way he means the pictures to be seen. A way to align at least one small portion of the universe.

Maybe in another world, a quieter one, he'll go to art school and really figure it out. It's something he's talked about with Drake. A different life. One he'd abandoned, back on Chorus, and then considered again in Hadriel.

This place is strange, and it puts him in strange company.

Not unwelcome, though.

He offers Will a mug. The coffee is sweet, perhaps overly so. Ephemera hates to drink it black. ]

I paint what I see. I'm not creative enough to make stuff up.

[ He nods toward the painting of the Pelican drop ship. ]

Used to be a Hell Jumper, back in the day. Advanced infantry. We jumped out of ships at zero g, or got launched in pods. Best feeling in the world, going on a jump.

[ His voice is soft and fond. ]

I don't miss the war. But I miss jumping.

[ Taking the mug with a thankful nod, Will took a sip before he spoke. Of course, it was far too sweet for him but he wouldn't complain or ask for another, he was just happy he'd been offered one in the first place. ]

Have you tried?

[ A genuine question. Asked casually as he turned his attention back to the one with the Pelican. Will listened, it was what he did. He listened not only to the spoken word but to the emotions behind it, to the memory it dug up in his dear friend. Dear friend? Now that was a new one... Not that Will really gave the feeling much though. ]

Never could stomach that feeling you get. Y'know that one, like the pit of your stomach is now behind your grit teeth. Don't think I could free fall... Not physically anyway.

[ A strange thing to say, though, to Will, most of his job was free falling, blind into the lives and minds of those deranged and dangerous. Why was it so different to do it physically rather than emotionally? ]

Can't you jump here?

[ A pause, as Will mused on something more personal. ]

What's it feel like? I've never...

[ Shaking his head, placing the mug back to his lips. Maybe he could get used to sweet coffee? ]

Couple times. Never turned out right.

[ Except that's not quite true, is it? Ephemera hums to himself, touching a hand over the tattoo on his arm. It's hidden beneath his shirt, but that was his own design. ]

Maybe one or two did.

[ The ones that mattered. ]

I could jump off a building, if that's what you mean. I'd survive it, with my armor. But it's not the same. When you jump from zero g....it's a moment of truth. You live or you die. There's no choice left. It's the one thing in the universe that's actually simple. You're falling. And either you're going to stick the landing, or you're going to die.

[ Nothing left to do but accept it. And there's peace in that acceptance, in knowing you can't control the end.

Ephemera shakes his head a little. ]

My training sergeant had this trick to see if recruits could hack it, you know? Anybody can be trained. That's just repetition, conditioning. But her thing was, she'd throw you out the plane. Drop kick your ass right out into the atmosphere. See who panicked in the moment, when things went to shit. She'd catch the ones who couldn't do it, nobody got hurt. But it made me see. 'cause in the moment, it doesn't matter how well you're training or how good your equipment is. You live, or you die. And you accept that.

[ He didn't panic, when his moment came. He made the leap. ]

That part, that was perfect.

[ Will listened intently as Ephemera spoke of how it felt to jump in zero gravity. The way he described it, he almost sounded like Hannibal, it was the part about sticking the landing and about the moment of truth. Of course, he'd never tell Ephemera of the comparison, he might not like it. ]

She was testing your parasympathetic nervous system reaction. Fight or flight, or well in your case fight or fall.

[ Will smirked at that, this Sergent sounded like quite the woman.

It was the last thing that Ephemera said that caught Will's full attention again, his body language too. ]

Acceptance of your mortality is important to you? I've never been a soldier but I've worked with a badge and gun. My experience was that you try anything to stay alive... There eh, there was no live or die, dying wasn't an option... Heh, must feel free...

[ Will paused, staring into his coffee while sipping it again before talking. ]

I'm envious.

[ So there's a name for it. Ephemera hums to himself, nodding. It doesn't surprise him. Hunter and Chica were always smart about how they did things. Knew how to push, when to test someone, and when to back off. The two of them had been an efficient team. Apparently they came up in boot camp together, then got assigned together and never broke the streak. They weren't together when they died, though.

Ephemera tries not to think about that. It doesn't lead anywhere good. ]

Morality's relative in a combat situation. But if you're afraid to die, you'll hesitate. So I wasn't. Keeps the world simple, right up until it isn't.

[ It's not bragging. Just a statement of fact. ]

Don't think I could do law enforcement. Like I said. World's simple until it's not. And then it gets bloody.

[ Will noticed that he'd stopped staring into his coffee and instead was staring at Ephemera. He was hooked on every word he said, as simply put as he spoke them. Something resonated within him, something that told him this man was his equal and his opposite at the same time. He wished he could feel and act like his friend did. ]

I er, I came across that exact problem... Couldn't pull the trigger when I er, when I needed to ... And then well... Pulled it too many times.

[ He'd never admitted that to anyone but Hannibal. It was strange that he felt he could open up to Ephemera enough to tell him such a thing. ]

Heh, the bloody parts the part I'm used to.

Event Log: Soulmates

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject